Simone Inzaghi showered praise on Inter captain Lautaro Martinez's display in their 3-1 win over Parma on Friday, despite the Argentine failing to find the back of the net. (More Football News)
Inter extended their unbeaten run to 13 matches in all competitions with their latest victory, with Federico Dimarco, Nicolo Barella and Marcus Thuram on target.
But it proved to be a frustrating night for Martinez, who saw a chance to score Inter's fourth from the penalty spot snatched from his grasp following a review by VAR.
The Argentine ended the contest having registered more shots (three) and the joint-most touches in the opposition box (five), while also accumulating a team-high expected goals (xG) tally of 0.77 to Inter's 2.31 total.
But Inzaghi lauded Martinez's overall display at the San Siro, which saw only Alessandro Bastoni (nine) compete in more duels than his captain (seven).
"He's hugely important. His recovery play at the end was a great signal," Inzaghi said.
"As a former striker, I understand the pressure of scoring, but he needs to stay calm and keep helping the team like that. The goals will come, they always do for him."
The only blemish on Inter's display was Matteo Darmian's late own-goal, with the former Manchester United defender turning into his own net nine minutes from time.
Only Juventus (eight), Napoli (nine), Fiorentina (10) and Empoli (14) have conceded more goals than Inter (15) in Serie A this term, leaving Inzaghi frustrated at the way his side let in a needless goal at full-time.
"I'm very satisfied with what the lads achieved. We showed aggression and focus against a team that has been playing really well. I바카라™m very happy," Inzaghi said.
"The only downside was the goal we conceded. It wasn바카라™t deserved. If I had to pick one thing to criticise, it would be that.
"But overall, I바카라™m very happy with the team바카라™s performance."
Up next for Inter is an away trip to Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Tuesday, before returning to league action against Lazio six days later.Â
Their fixture against Leverkusen starts a run of five games in 18 days, and Inzaghi insisted that every member of his squad would be needed for the upcoming games.
"I바카라™ve got 25 players, including goalkeepers, and I wouldn바카라™t trade them for anyone from another team," he said.
"We've got a demanding schedule ahead, including the Supercoppa. It바카라™ll be tougher for us, but we바카라™ve known that from the start."
